Why are British Forces still in Germany?

Question

There are currently a large number of soldiers still in Germany. Is there still a reason for this to happen? A Brigade will shortly be moving from Germany to the UK but this still leaves three Brigades in Germany. What are our troops still doing there?

Answer 1

The primary reason is that Germany is a vital NATO stronghold.

Since its creation NATO disposes of a serie of bases in various countries.

It operates a fleet of E-3A Sentry AWACS airborne radar aircraft based out of Geilenkirchen Air Base in Germany, and is establishing the NATO Strategic Airlift Capability through the planned purchase of a number of C-17s.

Ramstein Air Base in West Germany was an important strategic center, and remained so today.

Add on to that the Landstuhl Military Hospital that the British, German and American forces operate together where the Emergency Medical treatments of Soldiers coming in from the Afghanistan and Iraqi theaters

Answer 2

Hm, I know why the US troops are still here so it is maybe the same with your troops.
After 1989 the US troops wanted to go back and also closed some of the brigades (especially those in the more expensive areas like Bad Tölz... next to the quarters had been one of the most beuatiful golf courses of Bavaria ;-D ).
But now with the new terrorist problem they decided to stay. Reasons are:
logistic considerations
because germany is in the middle of europe;
training considerations; they have a lot of training areas here (also used by other nations and of course the british, too), could be that it is not easy to get the same training conditions everywhere;
living and housing costs
I do not know about living and housing costs in the uk, but your troups are probably in a cheaper region in germany and are simply cheaper for your government.
And last but not least: we are the EU now. Do you think it is really important where european troops stay? I do not care for that and I also do not have problems with foreign troops here.

Answer 3

British Forces are stationed in Germany for motives of national and NATO protection with the contract and help of the German government. The presence of British and American troops can grant mutual protection and is a visual show of the united kingdom's help for its NATO allies. the united kingdom has been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty enterprise considering 1949. even nevertheless plenty smaller than its deployment in Germany on the top of the chilly conflict, the extra suitable than 20,000 uk troops there symbolize the biggest foreign places contingent by way of a procedures. Germany can grant an important base for coaching, even nevertheless lots of the troops based there have been deployed someplace else, and others are in touch contained in the Allied speedy reaction Corps, of which Britain is the lead united states of america.

Answer 4

Downsizing takes years and years and is a massive cost to the tax payers.They need to find somewhere to relocate the moving units and as i am aware osnabruck is being handed over this year and we have to move and go somewhere else.It is all makes sense to someone somewhere and dont forget germany has the rapid reaction and there is loads of us bases in germany still as well..Germany will be handed back eventually to the germans gods knows when but it will happen

Answer 5

The British are there for the same reason we are. To keep the bad guys from overtaking the country. Just like in Korea and all the other foreign soil that our troops cover other than the "current" war zone.

Answer 6

I'm from Germany but live in England.It's good for Germany that they're still there.Squaddies spent a lot of money on clothes!Expensive once too (should know, married to one). without them a lot of the more expensive clothes in osnabrueck would probably close.
We're going back to Germany 2009.

Answer 7

The British forces in germany are still there as part of the British committment to NATO

Answer 8

Why are we a lot of places like Japan? We have been in Germany and Japan for over 60 years!

Answer 9

It's just the legacy left over form the cold war when the communist block was deemed to be the biggest threat. Any invasion would have probably come through Germany first.
it's as simple as that really.

Answer 10

This is a big secret, but....we don't quite trust the Germans. They don't like it up 'em.